Lando Norris Stuns at Silverstone With Blistering Pace: Inside the Opening British GP Session
McLaren’s Lando Norris kicked off Formula 1's British Grand Prix weekend in sensational style, setting the fastest time in the opening session.
Norris blitzed the Silverstone circuit on Soft tyres, notching a lap time of 1:27.420s, which was enough to leave Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll trailing by 0.134s in the cloudy, cool conditions.
Oscar Piastri, sporting the same Soft compound on his McLaren, grabbed the third spot on the timesheets. His session, however, was not without drama—as a hydraulics failure forced him to limp back to the pits before mechanics wheeled his car back into the garage.
Verstappen’s Medium Gamble Pays Off
Red Bull's Max Verstappen opted for the Medium tyres and emerged as the fastest among those using the harder compound, securing the fourth position, a breath away from Mercedes’ George Russell.
The ever-consistent Fernando Alonso, driving on Softs, managed to slide between the Mercedes duo, securing the sixth spot, just behind Russell and ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who took seventh. The two Ferrari drivers, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, round out eighth and ninth spots, respectively.
Esteban Ocon placed his Alpine in the top ten, further spicing up the grid dynamics as teams gather crucial data for strategies and race setups.
Newcomers in Focus
The session was particularly notable for featuring four non-race drivers, making their mark on the leaderboard. Oliver Bearman, recently confirmed as a Haas driver for the 2025 season, was the fastest among the rookies, securing 14th position.
Elsewhere, Alpine's Jack Doohan finished in 17th, showing promising speed, while Williams’ Franco Colapinto, on his FP1 debut landed 18th. Red Bull's young talent Isack Hadjar finished 19th and was involved in a heart-stopping near-miss incident with Lando Norris, which Norris deftly managed to avoid without any incident.
Drama at Silverstone
Visibility issues nearly cost Hadjar dearly; he failed to spot the fast-approaching Norris, stirring a collective gasp as the Briton narrowly avoided a collision. Norris’s skillful maneuver ensured a drama-free but hair-raising moment for fans and drivers alike.
Earlier in the session, Yuki Tsunoda of Red Bull caused the only red flag situation by spinning into the gravel at Luffield, highlighting just how challenging and unforgiving the Silverstone circuit can be.
As teams continue to fine-tune their setups ahead of the big race, Norris's blistering pace serves as a potent reminder that McLaren is a force to be reckoned with this weekend. Will Norris carry this momentum into the remaining sessions and possibly translate it into a stellar qualifying performance or even a podium finish come race day? Stay tuned, as the British Grand Prix promises to serve up more twists, turns, and high-speed drama.